Provincial authorities launch sweeping reforms at Dr George Mukhari
The Gauteng provincial government has embarked on a comprehensive programme to address deep-rooted operational failures at the psychiatric unit of Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital, where a patient lost her life in a fire incident. The reforms include bolstering staffing levels, upgrading security infrastructure, rolling out specialised training for healthcare workers, expanding CCTV surveillance, and undertaking fire safety remediation works across the facility.
Ms L Mohlamme, a 35-year-old mental health care user, perished following a blaze while she was an admitted patient at the public hospital. She had been brought to the facility on 19 June 2024 by her brother-in-law. The tragedy prompted an extensive investigation, the findings of which have now spurred the provincial administration into action.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria on Monday, confirmed that the government moved swiftly upon receiving the preliminary findings of the probe.
"When the draft report on the matter was presented to us, we immediately undertook an overhaul to rectify the situation and to ensure that this kind of incident does not occur within our institution again."
The briefing also dealt with the neonatal death at Netcare Femina Hospital. Following the finalisation of the investigation into Mohlamme's death, professional regulatory bodies — the Health Professions Council of South Africa and the South African Nursing Council — will be asked to examine the findings and consider launching professional conduct proceedings against the healthcare workers implicated in the matter.
Systemic failures and rights violations uncovered
The investigation laid bare far-reaching systemic shortcomings beyond the immediate circumstances of the fire. According to Mokoena, the probe revealed widespread violations of the rights of mental health care users, including the imposition of punitive practices, crumbling infrastructure, chronic understaffing, and a troubling lack of familiarity among staff with the provisions of the Mental Health Care Act. Governance and oversight structures were also found to be fundamentally deficient.
"As reflected in the reports, the reporting processes and security structures were non-existent. We have now strengthened these by assigning nine permanent security personnel who are stationed on-site so that in incidents of this nature, they are the first to respond."
Since the preliminary report was handed over, the provincial government has deployed an additional 12 nurses to the unit, raising the total complement to 105. A targeted training initiative has also been undertaken, with 21 nurses and two social workers receiving instruction to deepen their understanding of the obligations set out in the investigative report. Additional CCTV cameras have been fitted to enable security staff to monitor conditions across the ward in real time.
On the fire safety front, remedial projects are under way, with completed works already yielding a certificate of fire compliance issued on 19 February. However, the Premier acknowledged that further urgent steps remain outstanding.
"The hospital is now fire compliant, although there are still outstanding matters requiring urgent attention. We need to procure items such as certified fireproof mattresses and other issues identified in the report, which we believe are critical to achieving full compliance."
The investigative report further recommended upgrades to patient recreation and rehabilitation facilities at the hospital. The provincial government has signalled its commitment to acting on all recommendations as it works to restore public confidence in the institution's ability to safeguard the wellbeing of vulnerable mental health care users in its care.
South Africa's public psychiatric facilities serve thousands of vulnerable patients who depend on the state for safe, dignified care. The systemic failures exposed at Dr George Mukhari, from chronic understaffing to rights violations, raise urgent questions about conditions in similar institutions nationwide. For families entrusting loved ones to public mental health services, the reforms now under way will be closely watched as a test of whether provincial governments can deliver lasting improvements rather than reactive fixes after tragedy strikes.
